Homeowners become green to save money – not the planet

UK homeowners think about green issues as long as it saves them money and doesn’t inconvenience them, according to a survey by PrimeMove.com.

The survey revealed that 94% of those polled considered energy efficiency important in their homes. However, 65% of these revealed that their main motivator for adopting energy efficient measures was only to save money, with saving the planet and lowering carbon emissions coming second and third.

Insulation, double glazing and energy efficient light bulbs were the most popular measures homeowners were most likely to adopt or had adopted to help make their homes more energy efficient. Rain harvesting, wind turbines and solar panels were the least likely green initiatives to be installed. These findings suggest that many homeowners are unwilling to take any extra measures than those, which are already standard in many homes or are known to help reduce energy bills.

These findings may be troubling news for the Government, which has set ambitious targets for lowering carbon emissions from homes, with the Chancellor proposing in his last pre-budget report that all new homes should meet zero emission targets by 2016. Carbon emissions from UK homes currently account for 30% of all UK emissions, pumping 41.7 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year.

Whilst older homes are not at present facing such targets, it may not be long before stricter measures are enforced. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are to be included in the new Government Home Information Pack (HIPS), which will be mandatory from this June. These new certificates will mean every home is given an A to G rating to reflect their energy efficiency and carbon emissions.

Henry Pryor, founder of Primemove.com said: “What these findings show is that while homeowners are thinking about green issues they are still thinking of themselves before the planet.

“Peoples’ attitudes are not surprising, with the costs of borrowing rising and sky high energy bills, few homeowners have money to spare to invest in what are often expensive energy efficient technologies. However, they do welcome cheaper ways of saving energy, especially if it also saves them money such as energy saving light bulbs or double glazing.

“Attitudes are not going to change over night, but if the Government wants to lower the carbon emissions from homes, something will need to be done to encourage owners of older properties to take more action, without creating more financial burdens for property owners. They can’t just rely on housebuilders to lead the way.

“The proposed EPCs which are scheduled to form part of the Home Information Packs are unlikely to have much of an impact on whether homeowners decide to make their homes greener. They may help to raise awareness of a property’s energy efficiency, but it is unlikely to put people off purchasing a property with a high rating.”